


Mistakes

by Tezca



Category: Country Music RPF, In Dreams (1999)
Genre: Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-28
Updated: 2013-07-28
Packaged: 2017-12-21 14:26:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/901337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tezca/pseuds/Tezca
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Doesn't matter the size of your mistake, you can still learn from it and try not to screw up again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mistakes

Everyone makes mistakes, I knew that for years now. It's common knowledge pretty much. Though some are bigger than others, the important thing is I learn from it, however cliched it sounds, it's all true. I will admit I fucked up, I fucked up like the narrator of so many a cheating country song a few months ago. I was..well I was drunk plain and simple and the party just got out hand. The whole thing led to me being a single man and I was embarrassed that I even did that. The divorce was for the best anyways, there were other factors contributing to the whole thing. It was a shitty time in my life and we kept the whole affair private...just like it's suppose to be, to me anyways.

 I felt really guilty after the fact, I regretted doing it. You would think I would be the world most worst criminal for this according to some of the comments on some of the news sites. Being famous is a con in that way cause everyone seems to judge the hell out of you after making a mistake so many country songs are based around. Just ask LeAnn Rimes if you're still skeptical and still think oh everyone will totally understand my flaws and mistakes when I'm famous. I made the mistake of reading some of those comments...you think I would just brush them off, which I did for the most part, but it got to me a bit one night. Enough to go to a bar in some small town out Kentucky or Virginia, don’t remember which, just that I was doing some shows.

I do remember the bar being almost empty, just one other guy in there. An older guy with red long hair, like Willie Nelson only it was down and he had a hat on. He was on the seat next to me and I noticed he looked like he been through a lot in his life, but it wasn’t my business. I also learned something new that day, there are psychics in this world...I know I didn’t believe it at first. Sounds like something you only see at a fair with Madame in the title and you can tell it was just obvious bullshit.

  
But no this guy was the real deal...automatically can sense the reason I was there and wait I forgot to mention that he didn’t recognize me and he was just looking at the table when he told me that. Gave me some specifics too, like it was with a contestant on a singing competition. He didn’t know the name of it, but it was good enough to get me to rethink my stance on psychics. That and the fact he told me how I felt by the mistake I did.

“You feel like the worst criminal in the world...sounds a bit overdramatic for the act of cheating on someone. I’m Vivian Thompson by the way.”

“Yeah you’re right...but it sure looks that way if that mistake is out on the internet for everyone to see on news sites and Twitter.”

“So you’re famous then I take it?”

I paused for a second before nodding, I honestly got the feeling that he didn’t really recognize me and was one of those types that wouldn’t care that he was talking to a celebrity so I decided what the hell. “Yeah..uh Jason...Jason Aldean.”  
“Nice to meet you. If I may be honest if you knew the mistakes I did in the past, it would make cheating look like....accidentally breaking someone’s glass.”

Now that got me a little curious I admit and I wasn’t going to pry or anything like that, but I wanted to ask after he told me his mistakes were also on the internet if you know where to look.

“I’m considered infamous back in Massachusetts.” Vivian had added before taking a sip of his drink. “I have red on my hands.”  
It took me a minute to discern what he meant by that, but by the remorseful look on his face and how he said it, I didn’t think I was in any danger.

“So I would assume you regret..um...shooting a man in Reno just to watch him die so to speak?”

“Oh yeah, a ton. I hate myself for what I did to those little girls back in Northampton. I would bring them all back if I could but...time machines haven’t been invented yet.

“Well I would like to change what I did, I mean getting drunk and cheating...thats pretty embarrassing.”

“Yeah, but easier to live with it on some levels. You never laid harm on an innocent person, that’s good.”

In any other circumstances I would be noticeably more freaked out at the crimes he was implying and a bit more skeptical if him saying he was remorseful was true, hell he might’ve not even told me at all. But with the setting, the beer and how he was sounding, well I believed him. He seemed like one of those few people that truly regrets whatever heinous mistake they made.  
“Yeah that is...I admit to being in a few fights in high school but thats about it. How did you um not to sound cliched but see the error of what you did?”

“My late wife. She saved me, I know that sounds complete bullshit but its true.”

“I believe you....sounds like you’re an honest man.”

“Likewise. The point I am getting at here is there is one commonality between the size of your mistake and mine and that is we can learn from it and try not to make the same mistake twice.”

He was right, he did have a point there. I can learn from my mistake and become a better person just like Vivian has. I then saw him reach into his pocket to bring out a couple of pictures of a woman and a little girl. “This is Claire, this was her daughter.”

“They look pretty.” I also can notice the mixture of regret and guilt he had in his eyes and face more easily around this point. I figured it had something to do with them but I didn’t exactly want to press into it.

Well after ordering another round of drinks we ended up telling each other our life story. Turns out he was born in Italy and moved to Massachusetts at age one with his crazy person. His mother apparently wanted a girl that badly enough to name him Vivian, his father left the family early on and his mother abandoned him at 7 then was raised in an asylum until he escaped at 20.. Then he lived in an abandoned apple barn.

Then I got the explanation behind the expression he had earlier with the pictures, turns out he killed Claire’s daughter and he had kidnapped another girl name Ruby while feeding Claire is dreams, apparently he’s a dreamwalker. Claire eventually stopped him and they fell into the reservoir. She was sent into a coma while he was sent back to the asylum. Claire did some revenge via his dreams before they fell in love.

“Damn, your whole life can be a country album!”

Vivian chuckles and nods. “It would be, a more old timey one, in the vein of Johnny Cash.”

“Yeah you like him too huh?”

“I can relate to him." He nods yes and smiles.

I nodded and then we talked until the owner told us the bar was closing. I guess time really did flew by, I was surprised it was 2am and therefore closing time. I guess I was enjoying talking and listening to Vivian, it helped quite a bit. Definitely see my mistake in more of a logical perspective in the grand scheme of things, I guess I did sounded a bit like I was too much of a victim earlier. He did told me to not pay attention to the commenters, most of them are idiots according to him.

 

We both parted ways and I haven't heard from him for the next few days. I did my shows, feeling great as ever despite what happened with my personal shit. I wasn't going to let that affect my performance or anything and talking to Vivian really did help as I came to realize. I wasn't letting the stupid things some people say get to me, doing what I usually do which was like i said, brushing them off. I also realized that night was cathartic overall for me, I didn't feel a weight on my chest by the time the night was over.

 

I just have to learn to live with my mistake and learn from it, take responsibility for the shit you do. That what Vivian does every so often, he would visit the graves of his victims and plant flowers to make it pretty and keep it looking clean.

 

I wanted to thank him for that night, for listening to me and understanding. Sure our mistakes were two different kinds of mistakes but he was right with his point. Unfortunately I couldn't find way to contact him and I tried doing a google search but I got nowhere. I did thought he lived in that town but that wasn't the case. I'm not good at this computer detective stuff so I paid Dave Haywood $50, a round of beer and 15 minutes later told me mostly likely just passing through.

 

So wherever you are Vivian thank you for helping me out man. I appreciate it.

 

PS: Got a kitten, named him after you.


End file.
